Portrait of Jake Baker
by xsuspension
Summary: xfilesguy123 here with shared account and his girlfriend's story. A touching and sad look at Jake as he struggles through different events. Also has side stories with other Bakers. PLEASE REVIEW!


I dug this fic up from my girlfriend's files. I have full permission to use it. This penname is shared with Suspension but I want to use it since I'm too lazy to log in as xfilesguy. That's me. Please review. No one reviewed when this was on last. Please review. This isn't my work but the rest of the story will be. Thanks.

_I don't own any CBTD characters. None._

Chapter 1 A Boy's Struggle

Jake Baker yawned as he stretched out in bed. He could already hear shouts coming from downstairs. Jake smiled, knowing that he didn't have to go to school. Jake had finished school two weeks before everyone else. He took his finals and amazingly, got a final report card of four B's and two A's. Not bad for a kid who struggled in school. Jake had been having a tough time all through fall semester. He was grounded for most of October due to bad grades and behavior problems. Things had gotten real bad when Jake snapped at a teacher who accused him of cheating. Not only did Jake fail the big test he was taking, he also spent the rest of the day in detention and he was given a week long suspension. Tom had exploded on him. None of his kids had ever been suspended. Jake was grounded for the rest of October and the first week of November.

The week before Thanksgiving break, Jake's life got a little better. His mom took him to a child psychologist who specialized in behavioral and attention problems. She met with Jake only twice before she diagnosed him with ADD. After a few more meetings and a test, Jake was also diagnosed with dyslexia. Jake was put on medication and Kate arranged for a tutor to meet with him three times a week. Jake's grades improved greatly. He no longer got in trouble and actually made the honor roll a few times. His whole family was surprised and very proud of him. Jake's life got better and easier. Until the first Saturday of Spring Break. The whole family was just hanging around the house, occasionally helping Tom and Kate with some chores. Thanks to the meds, Jake helped Kate for pretty much the whole morning without fuss. After lunch, he headed outside to skate around the street for awhile. That's when his life changed. A drunk driver came speeding down the road. Jake tried to get away but the guy was swerving. The car hit Jake right in the stomach. Jake was sent flying to the side of the road. His head hit the Baker's mailbox with a sickening thud. Charlie saw the whole thing. Jake seemed to be moving in slow motion as he sailed through the air. The next two hours went by in a blur for the Bakers. The ambulance racing towards the house. Jake lying on the ground just covered in blood. Kate's hysterical sobs.

The Bakers couldn't go in the ambulance. They had to make the long drive to the hospital themselves. When they got there, Jake was being taken from the ER to the operating room. There was blood and fluid filling up his stomach. All the Bakers could do was wait.

Jake was in surgery for five hours. His spleen had been removed and doctors would be operating on him again once he was more stable. The next month was a nightmare for the Bakers. Jake had four more surgeries. One had been on his skull and brain. He faced his biggest challenge when his kidneys failed and he needed a donor. Sarah gladly went under the knife for her brother. She had a rough recovery and an infection in her bowels landed her back in the operating room.

Jake was out of the hospital in a month and a half. He still needed a lot of care. He was scheduled for one more surgery the week after school let up. His doctor wanted him to rest up the week before so Kate arranged it where Jake could finish up school early. Jake had taken all his exams already and now could just relax at home for a week.

Jake looked up as his sister Sarah walked into the room. She was holding a glass of water and some pills.

"Jake, time to take your medication," said Sarah. Jake sat up in bed. Sarah handed him the four pills and the glass of water. Jake swallowed the pills with some water.

"Thanks, Sarah," said Jake.

"You're so lucky. You get to just hang around the house for a whole week," said Sarah.

"And I also get to undergo a nine hour surgery next week. That's loads of fun," said Jake. He let out a nervous sigh. Sarah sat down next to Jake.

"Don't be nervous. You'll do just fine," said Sarah. She rubbed her brother's back. Jake smiled and leaned his head on Sarah's shoulder. Jake was exactly one year younger then Sarah. They had both been born on August 7th and both had been born around the same time. They were the closest Baker siblings and were willing to do anything for each other.

"I've got to go get ready for school, Jake," said Sarah.

"OK. See you later," said Jake, as Sarah stood up. Sarah smiled and left. Jake yawned and went back to bed.


End file.
